The case of the MISSING Decert Campaign

Since their website went online, the "United Slate" has had a blurb on their site called "News the Incumbents Don't Want You to Know". The first "news" they reported was " Savannah First Student Members Call for Decertification Vote" which has a link to this transcript that was broadcast on WTOC Savannah.

The only problem with this "news" is that there is no decert vote...AND the "members" who were featured in the story were seven management suck-ups sent to disrupt a union meeting. The SEVENTY members inside continued to conduct a business meeting while the scabs talked to the media called to come there by First Student management.It should be no suprise that Three of the seven scabs are now in management.

The newscast that night was a management inspired stunt and it didn't work.After they had organized, First Student members fought for and won a first Teamster contract that contained solid wage increases and a number of improvements.The majority of First Student members know that. First Student members continue to improve their lives with a Teamster contract and are now getting ready to negotiate a renewal agreement.

Of course the real problem is why would someone running for union office publish this story? You would think they would at least call the Local out of concern if they heard that a decert vote was going on at a Local 728 shop. At the very least one would hope that someone from the "United Slate" would at least talk to some First Student members to hear more about what happened. No such luck.

Instead the "United Slate" has spread disunity by using management misinformation to score political points. Bravo guys.

Bogus Protest Denied

And it keeps getting worse for the Randy Brown hater club.

Robert Wood, candidate for Recording Secretary with Mike Drummond's slate filed charges with the Local 728 Executive Board against President Randy Brown for the publishing of "Meeting the Challenge: A Report on the State of Your Union". The report by President Randy Brown was published in May by Local 728 to communicate with Local 728 members on the challenges and opportunities facing Local 728 before either candidate had publicly declared temselves as a candidate. Wood aasserted that the publication was improper and constituted campaign material paid for by Local 728. Paying for campaign material with union funds is both illegal and a violation of the International Constitution. Unfortunately for Robert his opinion didn't seem to agree with the facts or established standards of what constitutes campaign material.

Wood's charges were reviewed by the Local 728 Executive Board and were dismissed on the grounds that the charges were improper because they were not filed as a pre election protest as required by the International Constitution. Robert Wood appealed the decision to General President Hoffa, who not only upheld the decision of the Local 728 Executive Board to dismiss the charges, but went further to say:

I have also reviewed the publication in question and have determined that Brother Brown's article does not constitute campaign materials. Thus, even had you alleged a pre-election violation, it would have been denied.

A pre election protest was also filed on the same subject by Mike Drummond, but his protest was dismissed by the Executive board because it was filed untimely (you better learn the IBT Constitution if your going to be President buddy). Alan Lamb's slate has stated on there website that they have filed charges with everyone short of the FBI, but no protest has been filed to date, just a whiney letter to Joint Council 75 President Ken Wood cc'ed to Local 728.

These guys obviously have issues dealing with the reality that a sitting President of a union has a right to communicate with the members.

Unconscionable?

Mike Drummond has posted some "news" on his website accusing Local 728 Business Agent and Trustee Tim Chaney of doing bargaining unit work (ie. picking up some boxes off the floor and putting them on a belt). He ends the so called "news" with this:

It is unacceptable for company supervisors to take money out of your pocket but having your own union representative taking money out of your pocket and food off your table is unconscionable.

What's "unconscionable" is that Mike Drummond watches supervisors REALLY doing bargaining unit work every night and has never filed a grievance on it the entire time that the midnight sort has been in existence at Forest Park. Maybe if Mike had attended a union meeting in the last five years he would know how to file one.

And this guy wants to be our President...

"Disunited" Slate Flunks Math

The grossly misnamed "United Slate" have been busy peddling false rumors (shocking!) about Local 728's newest Business Agent, Matt Higdon. The rumor is that Randy Brown hired Matt "because it's an election year" so Randy Brown can "increase visiblity" during an election year. So let's do the math since apparently they can't count:

Local 728 UPS Business Agents prior to Matt Higdon being hired:
Jim Higginbotham
Donnie Dixon
Eric Thornton
Walt Neal
Randall Andrews
Tim Chaney
Eric Robertson
Robert Wood(part-time Feeder Agent)

Local 728 UPS Business Agents after Matt Higdon was hired:
Jim Higginbotham
Donnie Dixon
Eric Thornton
Walt Neal
Matt Higdon
Tim Chaney
Eric Robertson

That's 8 Business Agents before Matt was hired and 7 after he was hired.Matt was hired to replace Randall Andrews who resigned to take another job. The reduction in agents is due to Robert Wood resigning. So Local 728 now has 7 full-time UPS agents. Just in case any "dis-united" slate supporters reading this still don't get it, 7 agents is less than 8. So the rumor that Randy Brown is hiring additional agents just for an election year falls flat on it's face. Thankfully, now UPS feeder drivers have a full time agent and Matt Higdon is doing a great job for Local 728 UPS members.

How Would They Know?

Well the Randy Brown hater club has come straight out the gate lying. Both of the monday morning quarterbacks have published lies and distortions on their websites as soon as they were online. The enormity of the dishonesty of the other two slates is too much b.s. to put in one blogpost. So I have decided to tackle two today. I will post additional responses to the misinformation campaign as quickly as possible.

Mike Drummond's slate has put these items in their platform:

INCREASE MEMBERSHIP: We live in the largest city in the south, a national hub for rail, air and trucking transportation. Over the last 25 years, metro Atlanta has more than doubled its population, while our membership has remained essentially flat. It is my intention to educate the population and recruit new members. There is tremendous opportunity to reach future members throughout Georgia. Building our numbers equals building our strength!

Houston we have a problem! This guy seems to have no clue that Local 728 has grown by more than 1,000 (that's one-thousand, count the zeros) members since Randy Brown has taken office. Much of this has been through aggressive organizing both as Local projects utilizing Local 728 staff and volunteers and in coordinated campaigns with the International union.Randy Brown has also dedicated resources to increasing our membership at existing bargaining units.HERE is an example. And HERE is another. And HERE is one more.If you any doubt's that Drummond's platform items are either willful ignorance or blatant dishonesty, check the Department of Labor website and look up Local 728's membership numbers for the last five years.

And then you have this:

IMPROVE RELATIONSHIP WITH INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS (IBT): Local 728 has disconnected itself from the IBT. We need to work closely with and in support of the IBT.

It's ironic that when I first read this garbage I was on my way to the union hall and the IBT Eastern Region Organizing Director was sitting in the conference room at the Local meeting with Ben Speight the Local 728 Organizing Director. But here are some more examples of how Local 728 has not only not "disconnected" ourselves from the international, but actually works in a productive and cooperative way with our International at every opportunity, like Here and HERE and Here and HERE and HERE and HERE. Also, the fact that General President Hoffa and Southern Region Vice President Ken Wood will be coming to our local THIS SUNDAY to participate in a rally to support Local 728's campaign at Coke might be another hint that Local has not "disconnected " itself from our International union.Maybe Mike Drummond would know about some of these joint efforts if he had come to a union meeting before he decided to run for office.

It's Election Time at Local 728!

So it's election time in our Local and the B.S. is already flying. Randy Brown and the Members First Slate don't have the time to chase down and respond to every lie and half truth that the desperate challengers put out to the membership. This blog will attempt to respond to the mudslinging as soon as we are aware of them. This election Local 728 members will have a one-stop location where they can get the truth. There is no greater disinfectant than the light of day,so stay tuned.